


The Darkness Can Be Such a Lonely Place on Your Own

by keepitdreamin



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Darkness, M/M, Science Bros, sciencebrosweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 03:07:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4084288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepitdreamin/pseuds/keepitdreamin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being born heartless isn't all it's cracked up to be.</p><p>Tony is a prince with a curse. He's given up on finding a cure, but that doesn't mean its given up on him.</p><p>Science Bros Week 2015. June 10: Darkness</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Darkness Can Be Such a Lonely Place on Your Own

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from (and work kind of inspired by) "Don't Wait" by Joey Graceffa. I highly recommend everyone watch the music video (it's like a gay fairy tale and possibly my favorite thing ever).

_Clack click clack_. Tony froze where he stood precariously balanced on the ledge outside his window. He silently cursed the pebble that he'd knocked loose as he held his breath, waiting for someone to come running and pull him back in. The castle, however, remained silent and dark, and Tony let out his breath and continued his climb down.

Earlier that day, he'd begged his mother to let him out and play, but she'd just patted his hand and said "Anthony, you must stay in, dear. I'm sorry, but it's only to protect you." Tony had sighed in disappointment, but really he hadn't expected anything else. In his whole 8 years, he'd never once been allowed out of the castle, save the few trips to other kingdoms- where he was still confined, first to carriages then to the other castle. He _knew_ there was something different, something special, but in a bad way, about him. Servants whispered with averted eyes that he carried the 'family curse,' and he knew that the cold he always felt wasn't 'normal', but he didn't understand why he couldn't go out and play with other kids. He was a prince, but even princes could have friends, right? A ser v ing girl (who'd been promptly fired) had once told him he was 'heartless,' but when he'd asked the court Sage Jarvis about it, he'd been deflected with a vague explanation about a curse and 'he'd learn when he was older.' But Tony didn't _want_ to 'learn when he was older.' He just wanted to get out of the castle and explore.

When he dropped to the ground (he could've climbed down the vine but he liked practicing his drop and roll up move), Tony dusted off his tunic and cloak then stole a glance back at the castle. No candles shone in the windows and the only sound was a distant clanking of a guard on patrol. He waited 5 breaths just to be sure, then darted for the woods. He made it to the first tree in a matter of a seconds then ducked through the underbrush, following a well known path. This wasn't the first time he'd snuck out of the castle at night.

Tony stopped a few minutes later at a small clearing. The moon shone through the leaves overhead and a single small tree laid claim to the center of the field. Tony collapsed beside this tree, sprawling out on his back and looking up at the sky. Faintly, he could hear rustling from the forest. As it drew near, Tony jumped up and drew his sword (okay, it was just a big stick). “Be you friend or foe?” he shouted into the forest.

A laugh was heard, then a boy, a few years older than Tony and in much plainer clothes, stepped out with his hands up. “Friend,” the boy shouted back. “May I approach?”

Tony eyed the boy haughtily, but he quickly lost his composure and ended up grinning so wide that his cheeks hurt. “Yes, Bruce, hurry up!” Tony called as he fell back to the grass.

Bruce lowered his arms and came forward to flop next to Tony. They lay in silence for a while, simply enjoying the nature and each others company. “Do you know what's out tonight?” Bruce asked.

Tony rolled over and made a face. “You know I don't. Just tell me.”

Bruce shoved his shoulder, and Tony fell onto his back laughing. “Fine,” he pointed up at the sky. “Right there is Ursa Major or the Great Bear.”

Tony obediently looked up then back at Bruce with a raised brow. “Right where?”

“There. You see the three bright stars in a row? You connect those and they're the tail. And then the rectangle there?” Bruce pointed between the stars, waiting for Tony to recognize what he was talking about.

Tony looked but eventually just shook his head. “I do **not** see what you mean.”

Bruce sighed and grabbed his hand. “Look,” he moved Tony's hand with his as he traced the constellation. “The tail, the body, the legs.” He looked expectantly at Tony who nodded. Bruce lowered their hands but didn't move his away as he began his explanation on each of the stars and the legends that surround the constellation. Tony listened intently and ignored the warmth he felt in his chest.

-

_12 years later_

Tony straightened his crown, then knocked it jauntily to the side before leaving his room. He paused on the landing overlooking the ballroom and scanned the party. It was time to impress the ladies, and show them some of the good ol' Prince Stark charm. The thing was, Tony really couldn't care less about parties and meeting the endless stream of women, but his mother insisted. She was always going on about “True love being the only cure for the curse” and “You may be heartless but you're still human” and “Oh Anthony, really, if only you'd _try_.”

Tony just shrugged and went along with it. He didn't feel anything for these women. He just felt cold and empty like he always did. And even when there was a spark of interest, the spark itself was colder than ice, and nothing changed.

Not that he'd ever be _rude_ and completely ignore them. They might not lift the curse, but they could lift something else. Tony smirked at his own joke as he looked down at the crowd. It wasn't really leading anyone on if they knew going into it that he was heartless. They were just... Foolish thinking they could 'reverse the curse.' That was not possible. There was no 'cure' for this coldness he felt. That was nothing more than a fairy story told to mothers whose children were born with the affliction.

Tony's mind was unbiddenly whisked to a time long past. The memories were fuzzy, nothing discernable, but he almost thought he could remember feeling warm... which was impossible. It must have been a dream, not a memory. Just a childhood dream before he'd realized how futile it was to hope for true love. He tugged absently on the medallion he wore around his neck before tucking it into his shirt and making his way down the stairs, on the prowl for even just the hint of a spark.

-

_5 years later_

“Do we really  _need_ a new Sage?” Tony twirled his sword expertly before stabbing it into the chest of the straw dummy.

The court clerk- a fidgety little elf- gulped. “Uh yes, sir. As I'm sure you know, the wizard Obadiah is retiring and it is standard to have at least 2 'kingdom friendly' sages on staff at all times, which means we need a replacement.”

“So...” Tony drawled as he pulled out his sword. He eyed the fidgety clerk then smirked and began moving around the elf in a predatory circle. The elf followed this movement with wide nervous eyes. “What do _I_ need to do?” Tony asked finally, standing straight and sheathing the sword.

The clerk relaxed a little. “Your father would like you to lead the party to find a new Sage. Under normal circumstances he would simply make the word known, and we would wait for applicants to come to us, but that may take quite a while to find a suitable match, and you know how you are with wizards.”

Tony sniffed, “Able to tell apart a fraud from an original? Yes.” He moved to the side of the practice room, and the elf scurried to keep up with Tony's long strides. “When do we set off?”

-

The search for a wizard was _not_ going well. The group, which consisted of Tony, the knights Barton and Romanoff, and the Sage assistant (and psychic link to the current wizard Jarvis)Miss Maria, had set out last month in (mostly) high spirits, but now... their spirits were running low, and their patience for each other (and especially Tony), even lower.

They'd begun within the kingdom borders, chasing down leads of rumored wizards and witches. They found 5 frauds (Tony had taken great pleasure in humiliating them) and 3 actual practitioners. The first _actual_ witch they'd met had laughed in their faces and slammed her door. They chalked that down as a 'No.' The other two candidates were married, and though they were far more polite than the first one (they agreed, she could be a bit of a shrew)they were uninterested as well.

“Well that's it,” Maria noted that night in the inn they'd chosen, marking a complicated string of characters next to their names on her list. “Those were all the possible candidates _in_ the kingdom. Next stop, the surrounding lands.”

Several books could be filled with the misadventures they had in the surrounding lands. Not only did the _real_ witches and wizards they found not want the job, they encountered even more frauds, along with bandits, trolls, wolves, and rock slides which meant days full of fighting and detours.Even with all that, it probably wouldn't have been that bad if Tony had been able to refrain from being rude and insulting. As it was, he only made everything worse.

One particularly fine spring morning, he was especially (but very creatively, he had to get credit for that) rude to a witch who'd declined their offer. Having lost the entirety of her patience with him 5 minutes after they'd met and this being the absolute last straw, she'd enchanted a storm cloud to follow them, snowing. The group had made it (with only very mild hypothermia) to an old abandoned hovel, where they'd been promptly snowed in. It grew dark and outside, they could hear wolves howl and could almost _feel_ them prowling, closer and closer.Tony was almost regretting the remark he'd made when the door crashed open with a bright flash of light then everything went black.

-

Tony woke up suddenly, dizzy and disoriented in the dark room. What he _could_ see was moving in and out of focus wildly. Books, shelves, a crackling fire, a row of potions, a bubbling pot. Noises sounded like they traveled through water, and it _hurt_. Everything hurt. He was strapped to the bed, and though he strained, he was far too weak to fight his way out.

Then, a face appeared above him. He couldn't discern any features but the eyes, so he focused on those. Bright, brown, deep and... warm, and he relaxed, in spite of himself. As he drifted off, he could faintly hear a voice, “sleep.”

-

When Tony woke again, it was in his own bed. In his own room. In the castle. When he tried to sit up, there was a rush of movement at his side, and his mothers familiar hand on his shoulder. “Oh darling! You're awake!” Tony nodded stiffly and tried to speak. When only a rasp came out, his mother moved again and got a glass from a side table. “Here,” she handed over the cup which Tony took gratefully. “The new Sage said you should take it easy for a while.”

Tony nodded then looked up confused. “New Sage?” he managed before coughing fitfully.

Once he was done, his mother nodded happily, “Yes, the wizard Banner. He's the one who saved the lot of you on your quest _and_ nursed you back to health after you were attacked.”

“Huh,” Tony murmured, wracking his memories but coming up with nothing but a flash of light then bright, warm (but that most have just been an illusion brought on by the pain) eyes.

He sat up properly and cleared his throat, he felt a lot better now that he'd gotten something to drink. “I'd like to meet him of course and extend my personal gratitude.”

His mother nodded and stood, straightening her dress. The Queenly attitude returned at once, more distant, more impersonal, and Tony found it hard to believe that this woman was actually not born of nobility. “Of course dear. He is attending to some matters with your father at the moment, but I will make sure he comes up straight after. In the meantime, I'll send a servant with food.”She swept out of the room with one last smile.

Tony sighed and flopped back on the bed. He was tired. And he wasn't sure what had happened. And he was a little worried about his companions, but his mother hadn't mentioned anything horrible happening to them, so they must be okay. A minute later,a servant entered with a tray of food.

Tony waved off the man with an uninterested 'dismissed' as he climbed out of bed. He picked at the food as he got dressed. He'd be damned if his first meeting with anybody was while he was in bed. Nevermind the fact that apparently this wizard had been taking care of him _while_ he'd been in bed. First _official_ meetings were always to be done fully clothed and preferably upright.

He was standing at the window watching some children playing in the field across from the castle when a knock came at the door. “Enter,” he called back then turned to see who exactly this wizard was.

Tony eyed him critically. He looked a little older than himself, his hair was going prematurely gray at the temples, his posture was non threatening, and (“your highness” he bowed) his voice was low but gentle.

Tony nodded and stepped forward, hand extended, as the wizard rose from the bow, “You must be the wizard Banner. A pleasure to-” he cut off as he finally got a look at the wizard's eyes. Brown and bright and endless and there- there was the warmth, and it _wasn't_ just an illusion of pain. Tony stumbled back as a wave of heat flooded through him.

Banner looked confused then very serious, ushering Tony to sit. “Is something wrong? Where does it hurt? This may be a lingering side effect of the potion or something new, so I need you to tell me, where?”

Tony was in so much shock he couldn't speak. The warmth continued to spark and prick under his skin, and he grabbed desperately at his medallion for comfort, but found nothing but bare skin. That's right, he'd taken it off and stashed it in his pack before the whole snowstorm incident. Tony scanned the room quickly, blocking out Banner's persistent questioning, and spotted the pack in the corner. He pushed off the bed, ignoring the way his skin felt, new and weird and raw, and went for the pack.

He dropped to his knees in front of the bag and dug through it frantically, continuing to ignore Banner who still stood worriedly watching over him. Finally, Tony found the medallion stashed in the side pocket, and he hastily pulled it over his head. He held onto it tightly as he turned and collapsed against the wall, legs stretched out and eyes closed, with a sigh of relief. It still felt weird. The warmth wasn't gone, it hadn't even dimmed a bit. But he could get through this now. He'd figure it out.

When he eventually let go of the medallion, Banner gasped. That sharp intake of breath made Tony open his eyes and look at the wizard, who was staring intently at the medallion.Very carefully, Banner tugged at his collar, pulling out several necklaces. Tony's heart stopped as Banner untangled one and finally held out a matching medallion.

Oh. Now Tony remembered those eyes and the boy they belonged to, flashing at him in the dark, tracing constellations out in the sky, taking his hand and showing him wonderful secret places in the forest, delightful tricklings of warmth that went mostly unnoticed under the excitement, and a farewell gift, a medallion with a star form engraved on it, left in their meeting spot. And now those eyes were once again locked on his and his fingers were prickling with heat and the wizard Banner- Bruce he remembered from days long past- was sinking to the floor beside him.

Tony didn't know what he was doing when he reached forward and took Bruce's hand in his, he only knew that somehow it felt right and the warmth was tingling nicely where their skin connected, and he wanted more of that, wanted to be closer. He leaned in, moving on instinct alone- his brain had shut down, temporarily overwhelmed by the information overload- his other hand came up and gently, hesitantly cupped Bruce's jaw. He figured it was a good sign that Bruce didn't move away, just nuzzled in slightly to Tony's hand. Tony refused to think or consider risks or consequences as he leaned in more and caught Bruce's lips with his own.

 

The first thing Tony noticed was that the warmth had spread to his lips, and, as they pressed against Bruce's, they tingled pleasantly. The second thing he noticed was Bruce _kissing him back_ and the pressure, along with the tingling warmth, was exquisite . The third thing he noticed was that the floor was _really_ uncomfortable and things might be better if they moved to the nice, soft bed _right_ _over_ _there_ . The fourth thing Tony noticed (a while later and considerably more out of breath) was that he was totally right about the bed, and, after a second, that maybe his curse _did_ have a cure because he didn't feel heartless and he certainly wasn't cold anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)


End file.
